Farm to fork is something we've discussed already here on the podcast. If you are interested in local, even ultra local food systems then please do check out episode 20- where I discovered one of the most successful local food infrastructures. In the interview I asked Janie from OxfarmtoFork whether their system was scalable. She said, I think rightly, that it couldn't be scaled up, but it could be replicated. But that was here in the UK. In Germany there is a scalable local food platform, in fact it is already working at scale, serving supermakrets and consumers across the country. LOQL, spelled LOQL is an online platform that enjoys the kind of heavyweight support that we can only dream of in this country. In this interview I talk to , the Chief Operating Officer of LOQL, Clemens Tsalikis about how this platform works, but of equal importance, why it works

One of my carefully considered hobby horses is scalabilty. However inspiring an initiative is, unless we effect widespred implimentation, it is functionally meaningless. Another hobby horse of mine is food system complexity. However effective LOql is as a platform, it succeeds because there is a large co-operative of independent supermarkets in Germany, who can make their own prchasing decisions, and of equal import, they commitment is to the logevity of the comany and their local community, not short term profits. In turn their is a cultural, poilical and financial commitment to medium size enterprises in germany that means even a multi billion euro business can be created by small business operators.

How and if we can acheive the same or similar in this county remains to be seen. But if we do do it, it will have to be on our own terms

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What does a community food organisations look like? Well actually chances are it doesn't look like a community food organisation. With the exception of actual food banks run by the Trussel trust everyone else started off doing something else: and they continue to at least try to fulfil their primary roles. Community centres, youth clubs, schools, housing projects, and of course churches, so many have taken on the burden of managing some sort of food provision.

St Philips is an Anglican church in one of the outlying estates in Hull. With a history dating back over half a century, it is currently better know in the local community for attending to nutritional needs rather than spiritual needs

If you want, or need, to know more anout community food provision, there is a podcast that come highly recommended. The feeding Britain Podcast examsines all aspect of community food, and is a great way to keep up with the latest ideas and initatives.

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There is a circle in the food system that we are desperate to square. How do we ensure that farmers get paid a fair price while at the same time ensuring that food is more affordable.One example of this conundrum is our attempts to set up food buying clubs and Co-Ops that are cheaper than supermarkets, yet we are fully aware of the price pressures that supermakers are applying. to producers. And don't get me started on trying to compete with the economies of scale enjoyed by the likes of Asda and Tesco.

Well the short answer to how we can square this circle is that we can't.

And the long answer? Well hopefully I'm addressing it occasionally in this podcast - think back to the episode on OXFarm to fork.and in this episode I speak to some-one else who is helping to knock the edges off this conundrum. Karen Tozer has set up meat buying club that is sustainible, replicable and follows a community development model, something that is often overlooked in this space

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